Indexing mechanism



Patented Aug. 19, 1952 l INDEXING MECHANISM Rollin Douglas Rumsey, Buialo, N. Y., assigner to American Machine & Foundry Company, a coi-- poration of New Jersey Application october- 7, 195o, serial No. 189,015

This invention relates to an indexing mechanism, and more particularly ton improvements in an indexing device suitable for intermittently and smoothly driving a conveyor at ahigh rate of speed, such as the infeed conveyor, of a high speed bread wrapping machine. z

In machines for wrapping articles, such as loaves 4of bread, and especially sliced loaves of bread, it has been found that when; such .machines are operated at high rates of speed, as for example fifty lloaves per minute, occasionally because of the construction and operation of the intermittent driving mechanismxe'mployed, slices of sliced loaves of bread on the infeed conveyor are thrown out or become misaligned. This results in the delivery of imperfect loaves of sliced bread or improperly arranged loaves of bread to the wrapping station of the-wrapping machine, and when they are delivered or conveyed into and through the machine, a cripple or unsatisfactory package results. vAlso inthe operation of such intermittent driving mechanisms in introducingunsliced loaves of Ybread into a machine operating at, say, fty loaves per minute; the whole loaf of bread occasionally becomes improperly positioned lthereon and therefore :such loaves are not delivered properly to the Wrapping station. These situations therefore-have made it necessary to slow down the operation of such machines, and accordingly the manufacturer 'experiences a lossin output and an increaseiin'cost per unit wrapped. f y

The present invention constitutes a solution of this problem because it provides an intermittent driving device or Geneva mechanism Whichnot only eliminates the Adifficulties above noted.,but also lmakes possible a material'. increaseinlthe number of articles which may f be vwrapped on a given machine, such as loaves of bread,"-sliced or unsliced. With a wrapping machine .using the indexing mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention, eighty orv more loaves vof sliced kbread per minute havebeen fed into the Wrapping machine without dislodgement or misalignment of slices or improper positioning of unsliced loaves fed therein by the infeed conveyor. The resulting benefits to themanufacturingbaker are obvious both as to satisfaction in product. Iwrapped, and .to increased output in number of unitswrapped per unit of time, and because of the substantial freedom from .damaged loaves or cripples, all resulting from the `improved infeed mechanismrand its novel intermittent drive or Geneva-device.

While reference is made. to the use of the 'improved mechanism constituting the kinvention in' Claims. (Cl. 74-436) connection with wrapping machines, it is obvious that it can find uses in other fields -where it is desired to have a smoothly operating, substantially wear-free, high-speedindexing mechanism or Geneva device.

In the improved intermittent driveor indexing mechanism constituting the invention, the peak acceleration forces and loads on the cam followers or driving pins arematerially less than those of Geneva or equivalent driving devices heretofore known and used, thereby substantially eliminating shock and abrupt changes in speed. Also the driving parts of the improved Geneva mechanism constituting the invention are all enclosed Within the Geneva actuating member or arm which forms a rotating grease-sealed housing.V

This construction permits the removal of the entire driving assembly, including all gears, cam followers and star wheel lock elements from the drive shaft without the loss of. mesh or timing. '.,Ihese features contribute to longer life of the improved indexing mechanism dueto substantial lessening vof wearand tear on thev operating parts which are enclosed within the housing, and also make possible easier servicing due to the elimination of the need for retiming. Provision is also made to prevent pumping of the grease in the housing.

The invention also takes into consideration the desirability of compensating for wear on the lock of the novel indexing mechanismby'. providing simple, easily adjustable means for adjusting the position ofthe star wheel relative to the driving vhousing or arm. Italso includes an adjusting device, such as a lever or arm attached to the hub of the sun gear which is'enclosed within the housing, by means of which the position of Vthis gear may be changed in orderto control thetim ing of the cam followers or driving pins relative to the slots in the star wheel.

It is therefore an object of the invention 4to provide an improved high-speed indexing or intermittent drive mechanism. v c f It is'also an object of the invention to provide an improved indexing mechanism for use in intermittently driving the infeedconveyor of a :highspeed Wrapping machine wherein the operationof the indexing mechanism is smoother and provides a gentle product handling at high speeds.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an intermittent .drive or Geneva mechanism so constructed that it can effect a `smooth,^sub stantially shock free drive at a higherV rate-of speednot obtainable with devices heretofore Aknownor used, and in which there is provided a enclosed in a rotating grease-nlled, sealed housing, thereby permitting continuous lubrication` of these parts, this arrangement also making it possible to remove the driving arm or housing including all the gears contained therein from thedriving shaft without loss of mesh or timing.

It is also an object of the invention toY provide. a novel indexing mechanism or planetary Geneva mechanism in which wear of the lock can be compensated for, and wherein there is provided a device for` adjusting the timing during the operation of the Geneva mechanism Ywithout necessitating stopping the machine or theV removal of the indexingmechanism from the ma'- chine of which it forms an operative part.

With thesey and other objects 'not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and constructions which will be hereinafter fully described and then speciiically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.y

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specication, and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Figure '1 is an end elevation showing a pre- .ferred embodiment ofthe indexing mechanism constituting the invention `as seen from line I--I of Figure 2; i I Y Figure 2 is a sectional 'side-elevation of the same taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1,- and j L Figure 3 is an end elevation illustrating the indexing mechanism operatively associated with the infeed conveyor of a wrapping machine.'

Referring to the drawings, the index-ing mech- Vanism or Geneva drive constituting the invenL- tion may be 0f general application for intermittently driving various machine parts. However, as shown in the drawings, it is shown in driving co-operation with the infeed conveyor of'a bread wrapping machine. f

The indexing mechanism consists'of a Geneva star wheel-designated generally I and a Geneva actuating arm designated-generally I2. Arm `I2 in the preferred embodiment illustrated herein consists .of an oil or grease-filled, sealed, elongated housing, designated generally I5, which-is formed vby an arm member I4 and a complementary cover member I6. Within housing I5 are located a stationary sun gear I8, a plurality'of planetary gears2ll, and a plurality of spurv gears 22. In the illustrated embodiment, two planetary gears and two'spur gears 22 Vareprovided.

Arm member I4 is provided with a suitable elongated hub 24 secured by key 26to shaft 28. `Shaft 28 is the driving shaft and can'be 'driven continuously by means of any suitable device such as a motor (not shown). Sun gear lvi8 is loosely mounted on the outer periphery ofhub 24, ar1d;isY provided with an elongated hub 136 l protruding out of housing I5,v as shownV in Figure 2 Sun gear I8 is so mounted on hubV 24 of arm The position of sun gear I8 on hub 24 can be changedA as desired by means of an adjusting lever 32 having one end clamped to hub 30 of this gear. The free end of lever 32 is provided with a forked portion 34 which supports a pair of Y 4stationary in its adjusted position at all times.

The two planetary gears 2n are spaced 180 apart and are located adjacent the ends of arm I2. 42 supported in arm member I4 and cover I6.

' Eachfgear 23 is also preferably provided with an yannular groove 44 (Figure 2) to prevent pumping action of the oil or grease within the housing. VAs shown in Figure 2, each of the two spur gears 22 is keyed to a shaft 45, the latter having one end projecting outwardlyfrom arm member I4 and carrying. on this'end a crank disc 48 yto which is vsecured an eccentrically positioned crank pin v on which is loosely mounted a drivingroller or cam follower 52 adapted to engage with and run in slots or tracks54 in Geneva star wheel I0.

As shown in Figure l, star wheel I@ is provided With four equally spaced slots or tracks 54 and locking contours or concave portions 58. If. desired, a larger or smaller number of slots and concave portions could be provided. During the continuous rotation of driving shaft 28 and driving arm- I2, cam followers orv driving rollers 52 alternately .engage with the four equally spaced slots .or tracks 54 of Geneva star wheel I0 suitably vattached to ,shaft 5S. In this manner, the continuous rotary-motion of shaft 2S and the alternate engagement of driving rollers 52 withfslots 54 in Geneva star wheel I0 effect kthe desired intermittentv motion of shaft 56.

member I4 that it may be rotated thereon within Star wheel I0 is provided with the customary locking ,contours or concave locking portions 58. These are engaged by locking'segments 69 formed upon or attached to the Vouter face of arm member. .-Iand projecting outwardly therefrom in order'to engage with locking portions 58. In this manner, star wheel I0 is prevented from t turning when not engaged by one of the driving rollers 52.l

In order .to insure smooth operation, and eliminate play between locking contours or locking portions Vof star. wheel IG and locking segments ofarim I2 which` may occur due to wear, shaft 56,:which.carriesstarzwheel IB, is so sup: ported that it can be adjusted to or fromshaft 28 in order to insure at alltimes thedesired coaction ybetween locking V,contours or concave portions'58 and looking segments 60. Mechanism adjusting shaftv 55 kin this manner is shown in Figures. 1 and 2 in Vwhich 'eccentric bushing 62 is provided with a flangeg54 which, by means ofa clamp lug-66 and screw. 58, is held .inthe desired position in frame ,10 of the machine. Thev desired adjusted position ofbushing Y62 is obtained by unscrewing ,screw '58 and turning bushing62. vScrew'l can thenbertightened to clamp lugil'tightly.-againstflange 64, thereby securing bushing 62 inits adjusted position.

Housing II 5, Ywhich constitutes the. Geneva` v driving or. actuatingA arm I2 isllled with a suitable oil or grease, and between members Illand I5 thereis'positioned a suitable gasket T12 -Two seal Vrings I4 and 'IIB` are also providedto 'insure that oil or'grease will notv exude from housing Each gear-20 is loosely mounted on a stud ment of sun-'gear l8non hub24 .to` whichulever 32 :is attached; This provides averniertirning off'iirivin'g':roller'sv 52 withbrespectzto theiren'- gag'ementwith tracks or slot`s1154of1star wheel Vand makes itpossible to obtain split 'second timing of-the"indexingmechanism. 'l ..1 JFigure "3 illustrates: a :typical hook-up of the improved indexing mechanism constitutingl fthe invention with an infeed conveyor of a bread wrapping 'machinel V,Continuously rotating Geneva actuating arm l2 intermittently drives Geneva star wheel Il)v and shaft '56`in the manner .stated above. Attached to shaft 56 is a bevel gear 18 which in turn drives a bevel gear 80 mounted on a conveyor shaft 82. Attached to shaft 82 is a pair of driving sprockets 84' which engage with 'ai pair of endless chains 86 to which Vare v'sncin-'ed-Ja1. lurality of equally spaced vlugskil which engage a loaf-of bread L endwise and move it l'intermittently along-supporting plates V90 to the wrapping station of the machine (not shown) `By means of the intermittentldriving mechanism or, ,Geneva drive of thevivnvention, eachloaf of bread, lwhether sliced or unsliced, is handled smoothly. Because of the construction of the Geneva drive, its operation is substantially free of shock and abrupt acceleration and deceleration which might tend to displace or dislodge each loaf of bread being conveyed to the wrapping station. This is because the peak acceleration forces and loa/ds on the cam followers or driving rollers are materially less than those of Geneva or equivalent driving devices heretofore known and used, and accordingly shock and abrupt changes in speed are substantially eliminated.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device, selected to illustrate the invention, is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention is not, therefore, to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A driving mechanism comprising a rotating shaft, a housing attached to said shaft, a stationary gear in said housing, a driven gear mounted in said housing and engaging said stationary gear, a driven stud shaft projecting through said housing, a gear mounted on said stud shaft within said housing and meshing with said driven gear, a, cam follower carried by said stud shaft exteriorly of said housing, a driven shaft, a star Wheel attached to said driven shaft, said star Wheel being provided with a plurality of slots adapted to be engaged successively by said cam follower, whereby said rotating shaft turns said housing to engage said cam follower with one of said slots for indexing said driven shaft.

2. The mechanism defined in claim 1 including a support in said housing for said stationary gear, and means attached to said gear for turning said gear on said support to adjust the timing of said gear and said driven gears.

3. The invention dened in claim 1 including means for, adjusting the position=of said station--` ary gear relative to said driven gears.' and means for adjusting the axis of said star wheel to or fromlthe axis of said rotating shaft.` a 4. In anindexing mechanism, a rotatingzshaft, an intermittently driven shaft, a rotating driving arm,'said1arm comprising a grease-filledsealed housing, means attaching said housing tc said rotating shaft, a slotted f, star wheel fixed to said intermittently .driven shaft, a stationary gear mounted in saidu housing, a gear meshing with said stationary.. ,gear and driven. therefrom mounted in said housing, a crank shaft. ra:'gear located in ,saidyhousingand' mounted on said crank-shaftV and driven by said last-named gear, a crank disc located without said housing; and mounted on said-crank shaft, angeccentrically mounted cam follower on said disc. a star. wheel providedywith equidistant elongated slots, means secured to said'intermittently drivengshaft, said rotating shaft `being .adapted ,to drive said arm and move saidfrotating cam follower withsaid slots to driyesaid intermittently drivenishaft a fractional part of one revolution;v

; 5.V In an-indexingmechanism, a vrotating, shaft, anintermittently driven shaft, a driving arm, comprising I affhousing member providedv with an elongatedhubattachedto said rotatingshaft, a complementary-housing membenfmeans securing said lmembers together toform-.a sealed, greasefilled housing,-;a sungvgear'loosely; mountedl .on said hub within'said housing, equidistantly spaced planetaryv gears mounted within said housingand meshing lWith said sun gear, a gear meshing` with and driven byg, e ach of'said planetarygears,:a

crank ,shaft supporting eachof said gears, ay'crank disc secured to each of said crank shafts without said housing, an eccentrically mounted cam follower on each of said discs, a star wheel secured to said intermittently driven shaft, said star wheel having a plurality of equidistantly angularly spaced elongated slots, said planetary gears and said gears secured to said crank shafts being constructed and arranged during the rotation of said driving arm to rotate said discs and said cam followers into and out of engagement with a selected slot in said star wheel and turn said intermittently driven shaft through a fraction of a revolution.

6. The mechanism defined in claim 5 wherein said sun gear is provided with an elongated hub. a lever attached to said hub, means for securing said lever against rotation, and means for adjusting the position of said lever and said sun gear to vary the timing of said driving arm.

7. The invention defined in claim 6 including locks on said driving shaft, and wherein said intermittently driven shaft is provided with an eccentric bushing, and means for rotating said bushing to eifect a, relative movement between said intermittently driven shaft and said driving shaft to compensate for Wear on said locks.

8. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said housing is mounted for quick detachment from said driving shaft, and means for permitting detachment of said housing from said shaft While maintaining the timing of the gears contained therein free from interruption.

9. In an indexing mechanism, a rotating shaft, an intermittently driven shaft, a star wheel, provided with a plurality of equidistantly arranged elongated slots, mounted on said intermittently driven shaft, a driving arm, a plurality of cam followers mounted on said arm and arranged during the rotation of said rotating shaft to engage in succession said slots inV said. star Wheel toV turnsaid'intermittentlydriven shaft a frac- .tion of 'a revolution, said driving armcomprising a. sealed grease-lled housing, said housing being formed with a member having an elongated hub atta'chedto said-rotating shaft; and a complemental Vmember spaced axially from .said first-'- named member, a sunge'ar loosely mounted on said hub, a device constraining said sun gear agains'tlrotation during the rotation of saiddriving arm, arplurality of equidistant radially spaced planetary gearslocated within said housing .and rotatably supported by said memberal adriving gear for each1ofwsaid camfollowers'falso located Within said Y housing yand driven byY said planetary gears 'wherebyY during `the rotation` ofsaidrotating; shaft said cam followers are rotated. to move into said slots and indexsaid star Wheel-and intermittently driven shaft, and means forad- 4justing said-device to change the angular position of saidsun gear relative .to said planetary 4Vgears to adjust the timing of said mechanism.

10; The mechanismv defined in claim 8 including an eccentric mount for said intermittently driven shaft, opposedllocking segments of said housingfV complementalconcave portions AV`farmed f on saidfstar wheel, and means for adjusting said mount in order to'eiect a relative movement of! said A rotating shaft and said .intermittently drivenshaft to orfrom each lother to compensate for wear, between-said segnlents'andfv said concave portions. f Y

'1v1'. In al1-indexing mechanism, a rotatingshaft, anfintermittently driven shaft, a drvingarm mounted'on 4said rotating shaft,` a sunk Vgear`35 loosely; .supported on ksaid arm, equidistantly spaced-planetary gearsmountedon saidgaxm and meshingvwith said sun gear,iafdrivenigear'mesh': ing with and driven byveachof-said planetary gears, a crank disc'driven lay-each ofesadldriven gears, an eccentrically' mounted -vdriving-roller carried by each of said crank discs, :aistar Wheel secured tosaid intermittently drivenfshaftgsaid star wheel vhavingsa plurality-ofi slots adapted to be Yengaged by Ysaid driving rollers on, -said arm,said planetary'gears and said drivenggears Y being `constructed and arrangedfduring lthe rotation 'of saidv drivingarmy `to rotate; said discs :and said-driving rollers into and-out of said'y slots in said-star wheel A and: turn .saidg' Vintermitte ntly driven .shaft through Aa fraction of a'reyQlution-, an adjusting lever attached to1saidsun; gear. means for turning saidilever to :adjust said-Sun gear, relative to said planetary and driven-gears. and-means for securingusaid lever` in-adj/usted position. v f Y 1 VR. DOUGLAS RUMSEY..

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record-.fin the le ofthis patent; L l' ,210,274 Great Britain .--.l Janin, ,1924 

